“He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones, and the rich he has sent away empty.” Luke 1:51-52
December 21, 2023
We are invited to sing along with Mary. The Christ-child she is to bear is celebrated as He is seen to ride the chariot of unrivaled power through history. A bass voice and full orchestra lift us up along with a past tense to show how God will resolve the inequities of a fallen world. Notice Mary’s nimble biblical mind as she contrasts the wicked and the righteous. There is no moral equivalence here. The proud are brought down and scattered. Those who delight in God, the humble, are exalted and filled. Bach’s music at this point seems to disintegrate to picture the thought. Rejoice with Mary as God’s wisdom is seen through His reversal of human values. God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wisdom. His past judgments over the nations (Egypt, Assyria, Babylon) are ultimately revealed in Christ’s cross and His second coming. Follow the tenor and the falling scales. Christmas music is very often contemplative in nature. Mary’s song is to invite the mood of joyful heights. Don’t let the world’s ills suppress your hope. Jingle bells may have their place but they are not in the same league as truth-rich Messianic expectations.
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“O Lord of grace, The world is before me this day, and I am weak and fearful, but I look to thee for strength; If I venture forth alone I stumble and fall, but on the beloved’s arms I am firm as the eternal hills.” From “God All-Sufficient” in The Valley of Vision